


Follow the Sparks, I'll Drive

by winterwaters



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, POV Multiple, Rebelcaptain - Freeform, i just needed to give my babies some happiness alright, so much freaking fluff, some cursing idk if that bothers anyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:46:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23673307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: Jyn is used to being a walking disaster - what she doesn’t expect is for Cassian to be one, too.Or: Jyn and Cassian’s first date.
Relationships: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso
Comments: 10
Kudos: 106





	Follow the Sparks, I'll Drive

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This is SO ridiculous. I really can’t emphasize that enough.
> 
> Title from I Think He Knows, on my usual T streak.

Jyn is nervous. 

Heart-racing, breath-hitching, palms-shaking nervous.

All because of just a _guy_.

Well, that isn’t entirely true. He hasn’t been _just_ anything to her for some time now. Maybe that’s part of it.

“Shit,” she mutters, throwing yet another shirt aside. The spot formerly known as her bed is now just another pile of clothing, the dark shades of tried-and-dismissed outfits blending with the navy of her comforter. A patch of grey is all that can be seen of her favorite cozy chair, the one she curls up in with a cup of tea and blankets after a long day - or any day, really.

And the worst offense - from the the opposite wall, her green blouse sits sadly atop the hamper, the frayed edges of the rip at the elbow making a mockery of her. Of course her trusty first date shirt would end up in such a state, the one time she actually cares about her appearance.

With another exasperated huff, Jyn glances at the clock again. 4:55pm. 

She doesn’t have to be there until 6. There's plenty of time. Except - she’s still in her bra and leggings with no idea what to wear, she has to pick up a bottle of wine (she refuses to arrive empty-handed regardless of his protests), and the liquor store happens to be in the opposite direction of his apartment.

Her phone buzzes on the dresser, and her stomach does a somersault.

But it’s only Baze. **Still agonizing over the captain?**

She rolls her eyes, typing out a quick reply. He’d guessed the source of her stress a little too easily the other day, and now he’s reveling in it. Never mind that the nickname hasn’t applied for well over a year now. 

**Do you want me to tell Chirrut what you got him for his birthday?**

Baze of all people knows she isn’t the bluffing type. Sure enough, his response arrives quickly.

**Mean little sister.**

Jyn laughs, and the tension in her shoulders ebbs for the first time all day. Letting out a long breath, she puts her hands on her hips and surveys the room, her gaze landing on a black and white striped dress that peeks out near the foot of the bed. She’d taken it out earlier, but come to think of it, had she ever put it on? Pursing her lips, she frees it from the pile and shakes it loose. Simple enough - but with her jean jacket and the right shoes… 

Smiling, Jyn hurries to the bathroom to do her makeup. She can do this.

After all, she regularly faces off with her old, narrow-minded crow of a boss in pitch meetings; she’s walked headlong past police tape for the truth of a story; she’s stood in front of a hall full of hundreds defending her father and never hesitates to call out a liar when she sees one. 

One man is not going to throw her off her game.

She is perfectly capable of getting ready for her first date with Cassian Andor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassian rushes around his kitchen, nearly knocking over a wine glass in his haste. Spinning on his heel, he flings an arm out and lets out a breath when his fingers close around the stem just in time.

Disaster averted - barely. One of many such occurrences this evening.

He sets the glass back down, moving it and its twin much further from the edge before raking a hand through his hair. “Get a grip,” he mutters to himself. 

A look at the rest of the counter doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. 

It’s as if the contents of his cupboards have exploded - but instead of morphing into the meal he's been planning ever since she said _yes,_ the ingredients look to be in mutiny. Thyme is still scattered next to the stove where he dropped the bottle in his haste to save the marsala sauce from burning; half the wine ended up in his body instead of the sauce because of his nerves; the chicken is defrosted and seasoned but not cooked yet, thanks to the ripped bag of flour and its former contents on the floor, mocking (and further distracting) him. He scowls. Obviously he had planned dessert, too, he'd promised a homecooked meal and he was not going to forego her favorite part. And yet, the one time he actually gives a shit, nothing seems to be going right.

Cassian looks at the clock. 5:10pm. There's time. It’ll be fine. He just has to get his shit together, literally and figuratively, in the next 50 minutes. Probably 60, really, because Jyn’s version of being on time is 10 minutes late at minimum.

He wipes sweaty palms on his jeans - he _has_ to change these damn pants - and gets to work.

He can totally do this. He’s spent years as a soldier going where he was needed and targeting those who’d cause harm, and after his orders stopped being about doing the right thing and instead came with their own agenda, he now looks smiling politicians in the face and captures the sliminess underneath their every action through his camera lense instead of a gun.

He is more than capable of preparing dinner for his first date with Jyn Erso.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jyn’s good mood lasts all the way to her car, where she discovers the flat tire.

“You've got to be kidding me.” She considers giving it a kick, then thinks better of it after glancing at her shoes. She does really like these heels. With an extra glare at the tire for good measure, she pushes her sunglasses atop her hair and pulls out her phone.

**Any chance you’re home?**

She bites her thumbnail waiting for the reply from Baze. Finally: **Picking up Chirrut’s stuff at the tailor. What is it?**

Well, it was worth a shot. **Nothing. Text you later.**

Three dots appear, disappear, then re-appear again. **Are you safe?**

Jyn’s heart twists. For all that Baze scares the rest of the world shitless, he’s a big softie under the muscles and bravado. 

**I’m fine. Promise.**

**If I don't hear from you tonight the pretty captain’s going to have a visitor.**

She snorts. **I'll let him know.**

So much for her vow to stop using Lyft so much. Opening the app, though, she balks. Bright sunny day, not a cloud in sight, and prices are through the roof. “Of course you’re surging now, you little piece of shit,” she hisses. Not for the first time, she wonders how she landed in a small town with no mass transit. She’s not sure what’s worse at this point - sacrificing her credit card or her pride?

Jyn looks at the cost again and makes her choice.

Cassian picks up on the third ring. She has only a moment to wonder at that - control freak that he is, she’s not sure she’s ever heard his phone make it past the first ring - before his concerned voice floats over the speaker.

“Jyn? Are you alright?”

There’s a note of _something_ in his voice, and her eyes go wide when she figures it out a moment later. He thinks she’s cancelling.

“Hey. I’m fine, everything’s fine,” she says, wincing as her voice rises an octave. What is wrong with her? “The thing is, uh, my car - I have a flat tire. And, um, Baze isn’t home, and I don’t really know if--”

“I’ll come get you,” he says instantly. Then there’s a distant clang, followed by Cassian swearing.

Her brow furrows. “Are _you_ alright?” It’s her turn to ask.

“Good, yeah, all good. I, uh, I’m just going to get my keys, and - oh, shit. Shiiitttt.” He draws out the word with a bitter laugh. “So, my car’s in the shop. It needed some work done, and when you said you’d drive over, I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I didn’t get it today…”

She can picture him clear as day, the pinch in his brow and the concern in those warm brown eyes. His hair is probably a mess from the amount of times his hand has swiped through it.

“Well, at least I won't have to hear K-2 bitching at me every time you take a shortcut.” 

It’s a lame joke, but his low chuckle is worth it all the same. The navigation system in his car has become a running joke. Cassian claims the voice is comforting; Jyn thinks his definition of comfort needs some tweaking.

“I’m sure Bodhi’s home,” he says. “I’ll take his car, be there in twenty.” It definitely takes more than twenty minutes from his place - not that Jyn’s been counting or anything. Then again, it is Cassian. He’ll probably floor it.

“Okay. But Cassian, the wine, I didn’t get to--”

“I told you not to worry about that.”

“I know,” she says defensively. “But I wasn’t going to show up empty-handed, I _do_ have manners despite what everyone may think--”

“Jyn,” he interrupts, soft yet firm. “It’s me. You know I don’t care about any of that. I just want to see you. Alright?”

Her reflection in the car window is wearing a stupid, stupid grin. 

“Yeah, alright. Me too.”

“Okay. Be there soon.” She can hear the smile in his voice - it’s not the charming smile he wears for most interviews, or the lazy grin he gives to coworkers during meetings, or even the impressed grin he’s aimed at her after she finishes dressing down a particularly senior politico. 

This - this is the soft upturn of his mouth that dimples his cheek and reaches his eyes, the same smile he’d been wearing when she agreed to go out with him.

God, she is so screwed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassian winces at every bump and pothole that shakes his seat. Oh, he’s always had his doubts about the car, despite Bodhi’s insistence that it can be saved, but when this is over he’s convincing his friend to get rid of this trashcan. Another lurch, and he’s gripping the steering wheel white-knuckled. Hell, at this point he’ll help invest in a new car if this one will just last long enough to get him to Jyn’s and back in one piece.

He’s so preoccupied at the car not falling to pieces that he doesn’t notice the traffic jam until it’s too late to turn back.

“Son of a bitch.” Cassian cranes his neck, trying to get a better view, and immediately wishes he hadn’t. The road ahead is fucking mess, and he’s stuck in the middle of it. Groaning, he slumps back against the seat and reaches for his phone.

“There’s an accident on Route 8,” he says when Jyn picks up. “Looks like a pile-up. I think I hear sirens.”

Jyn is silent for along enough that he begins to worry, and then she says, “No wonder Lyft was surging. Greedy little shits.” 

He barks out a surprised laugh, trying to ignore how her tendency to swear sends blood flowing to other areas. “You’d call a Lyft before me? I’m wounded,” he teases, knowing a scoff isn’t far behind the eyeroll she’s likely giving him.

“Correction - I called Baze, then Lyft, and _then_ you.”

“Ouch. Noted.”

She laughs lightly. “I’m sure your ego will survive. It’s certainly large enough.”

Damn this traffic to hell, all he wants is to kiss that smirk off her lips right fucking now.

“Well,” he drawls after a moment, “getting you to admit to needing me at all is a victory, so I guess I’ll take it.”

“I’m sticking out my tongue right now.”

He’d bet that tongue was capable of much more imaginative things.

“Right back at you,” he manages, and hopes she’ll ignore the sudden hoarseness in his voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At this rate, Jyn decides she might jump Cassian before dinner - if they even make it back to his apartment.

She grips the seatbelt as another bump in the road rattles the car. While Cassian is preoccupied with the road, she finds herself wondering at the dash of color behind his ear, made all the more apparent by the deep blue of his shirt. White buttons at his wrist blink in the sunlight as he rests an arm on the window, tapping absently. Odd - he's normally not one to fidget.

“Bodhi seriously thinks he’s going to fix this up?” She asks when the ride has been smooth for over a minute.

“You know Bodhi,” Cassian flashes her a quick grin. “I’m just glad there was gas left."

Jyn chuckles, lifting a shoulder in acknowledgement. Bodhi is the most loyal of friends and simultaneously one of the most scatterbrained people she’s ever met. But she loves him for it all the same. 

It’s like that with most of their little crew at work. They’d all been thrown together on an assignment that should have been near-impossible, and almost was, for a time. 

There were some things you couldn't avoid revealing when stuck in a cramped war tent for days on end. It’s why she now knows that Cassian regularly wakes an hour before the sun to sit with all the thoughts tumbling around in his head; that the faraway look in Bodhi's eyes usually means he’s thinking of his last flight patrol even though he'll never step foot on a plane again; that Baze waits for Chirrut to fall asleep before finally closing his own eyes, because it’s the most reassuring sight. 

Despite the odds, when it came down to it they’d all been willing to go to bat for each other. And because of that, they’d come back when no one expected them to. Ever since - well, they don’t exactly hang out, with the exception of Bodhi, who’s like an irresistible puppy - but they all check in from time to time. Keep an eye out. 

That’s what love is, Jyn muses - knowing you’ll go to bat for someone and that they’d do the same for you.

“What are you thinking about?”

Jyn looks over. They’ve come to a stop again. Cassian’s mouth is quirked to one side in a half-smile as he watches her, and she fights the blush rising high in her cheeks despite knowing he’s already noticed it.

“Nothing,” she shakes her head with a small smile. “Just, life is kind of weird sometimes. In a good way. You know?”

His eyes trace her face slowly, his smile widening. “Yeah. It sure is.”

A loud honk startles them both, and Jyn realizes the other cars around them are moving again. 

“Asshole,” Cassian mutters, shifting gears. Jyn makes sure the offending driver sees her raised finger as he passes by, and Cassian throws back his head and laughs. “That’s my girl.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassian’s hope for a smooth evening plummets the instant he turns onto his street. “What the hell…”

Next to him, Jyn gasps, peering out the window in concern.

Two massive firetrucks are parked on the road, their red lights flashing wildly and lighting up the whole street despite the descending evening dusk. Most of his fellow tenants have gathered on the sidewalk, all in various stages of undress. Cassian reaches for his phone, then realizes it’s wedged in his back pocket. With growing dread, he pulls past his usual spot and parks down the street. Jyn leans over the console to read the texts on his phone from Bodhi. 

6:30: **Fire alarm went off. Thought it was some kids but it’s actually a thing.**

6:42: **Full evac. We’re still out here.**

6:43: **Couldn’t finish dinner.**

Cassian puts his phone down at the mention of dinner, motioning for Jyn to hop out. Together, they hurry back to the apartment complex, catching snatches of conversation from those huddled nearby.

“Some idiot left the oven on,” a man’s saying, and Cassian swallows and sends a prayer up.

He sees the dark knot of Bodhi’s hair before his friend turns around, and then he breaks off from a nearby group, his long strides carrying him over with a bright smile. Jyn greets him with a swift, tight hug. 

“Thank you for being our knight in shining armor. But,” she pokes at his chest, “you still need a new car, my friend.”

Bodhi’s smile turns sheepish; he acknowledges her statement with a small nod before turning to Cassian, who’s doing his best to appear casual. “I texted. Did you hear what happened?”

“Something about an oven?” Cassian wills his voice to be neutral, even a little bored. "Which floor?"

"6th,” Bodhi answers. Cassian allows himself a small sigh of relief, not noticing how Jyn’s gaze shifts to him in that moment. But his friend isn’t done. “They made us all come out here and wait, so I couldn’t--” He pauses and looks at Jyn. “--I couldn't do the thing you asked.”

Oh. Well that also sucks, but at least he won’t be blamed for nearly burning down the entire building because he was nervous about a girl.

After being reassured, Bodhi goes looking for an update from the fireman who’s just emerged from the building. Cassian feels Jyn’s shrewd gaze trained on him and finally looks over. The look on her face is one he knows too well; it erases any excuse he was planning. His casual posturing hasn’t fooled her one bit, and he’s about to be in deep shit.

“Cassian,” she says, her voice deceptively light, “did _you_ leave your oven on?"

"No!" He glances around, grateful that most people chose to ignore his sudden shout, then steps closer. "No," he repeats more quietly. " At least... I'm pretty sure I didn't."

Her eyebrows rise in disbelief. "You're _pretty sure_?” She folds her arms across her chest. “Cassian Andor - prime control freak who never leaves his desk without a single item out of place, who refuses to put more than a single half-spoon of sugar in his coffee, who pays the bills as soon as they arrive - is _pretty sure_ he remembered to turn the oven off?" 

Cassian blinks, then begins to grin widely. “Watching me so closely? I’m flattered.”

She lifts her chin. “Answer the question.” 

But her cheeks are pink for the second time this evening.

"I was distracted, okay," he shoves his hands into his pockets, because otherwise he’ll kiss the daylights out of her right there next to the goddamn fire truck. " _You_ are very distracting, Jyn Erso. In case you haven't noticed."

Jyn isn't bothering to hide her smile anymore. "Am I now?" She asks, and it’s pure glee that lifts her voice, that makes his own mouth pull upwards just for a second before he shakes his head and looks away. There’s a light touch on his arm, and then a firmer tug that makes him meet her gaze again. Her eyes still brim with laughter as her hand drifts up, up, and then her finger swipes behind his right ear. 

She brings her now-red finger under her nose and, with a bemused smile, takes a loud sniff. "Paprika?" 

Cassian sighs. "I didn’t have the best start to my evening,” To hell with it. “When it comes to you, my brain just sort of…stops. No, that's not right. It… panics."

Jyn tilts her head. “I give your brain a panic attack?”

“Well when you say it like that it sounds ridiculous,” he mumbles, rubbing his neck. God, he feels like a teenager again. Incompetent, fumbling, and sweaty over a simple touch from the girl he’s crushing on.

“You survived a month on tour with me,” Jyn says, all at once a gentle tease and reminder of their first meeting. He’d still been with the army then, and she’d been after a story. Even then, Cassian had known her fierce commitment and unwavering determination made her someone he’d never forget. Even if it had initially put them at odds.

“This is different,” he says softly, and her smile fades at his serious tone. “This… it’s a date, Jyn. _Our_ first date. I wanted-- I _want_ to do right by you.”

Jyn considers him for a long while. With a small smile that is somehow brand new to him, she takes his hand and holds it between both her own. 

“I wouldn’t still be here if you hadn’t gotten it right.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It feels like forever and somehow not long enough that she stands there in the fading sunlight, holding Cassian’s hand and watching the relief transform his face until his grin is as wide as her own. He takes a deep breath, squeezing her hands, and leans in--

“All clear!”

The fire marshal’s abrupt announcement is a near-invasion that makes them both jump. Everyone suddenly beelines for the entrance in a rush to be the first inside one of two elevators. Jyn steps to the side, trying to avoid the sudden swarm, and finds Cassian doing the same. She’s momentarily disappointed when he lets go of her hand, only to have him wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close, tucking them both out of the way.

“Stairs okay?” He asks once the rush has subsided. She nods, suddenly feeling shy herself. His hand brushes along her back before finding hers, and that’s how they walk into his building and up the three flights of stairs, fingers tangled and shoulders bumping with every step.

At his door, Cassian pauses with the key still in the lock, not quite looking at her. “It may be a bit of a mess,” he says somewhat in apology.

“I don’t care,” Jyn says, and surprises them both by leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder, looking pointedly at the door after. With a hint of a smile, Cassian pushes it open and she follows him inside.

Cassian’s apartment is about what she expected, with one exception - there’s so much color. The living room is arranged neatly enough, not a stray book out of place on the coffee table, blankets neatly folded over the back of the couch, and no leftover cups or dishes to be seen. It’s the art on the walls, the splashes of blues and greens and reds in various shades, all individual works that combine in a wonderfully rich canopy of warmth, that take her breath away.

She turns to say as much, and her jaw drops for an entirely different reason.

The kitchen is a mess. Countless bowls and dishes all hold pieces of what was surely going to be a delicious meal, and if she's right, a recreation of one of their first meals together when he was on tour - one of their first that they hadn't squabbled through, instead finding common ground. Pieces of thyme stand out from the white countertops; the chicken in the pan is clearly waiting to be cooked; flour leaks onto the hardwood from a sizeable rip in the bag; and the kitchenware already piled high in the sink.

Jyn takes in everything, not missing a single detail of the effort and thought put into this - for _her_ \- and finally looks at the man standing in the middle of it all, a lump forming in her throat.

Cassian’s embarrassment shifts to something more tender as he watches her just as closely. Finally he just shrugs and scrubs a hand through his hair again before spreading his arms wide. “This is what you do to me, Jyn.”

She swallows and pushes the other feelings away - she’s nowhere near ready for those yet. But she _is_ delighted - so extremely delighted at the evidence of just how much she’s gotten under his skin, just how much he wanted this to go right, that it takes her an extra moment to realize he might still be oblivious to her own tidal wave of feelings. 

The thought makes her feel braver than she’s felt in days.

Which is why she steps into his space without a second thought and winds her arms around his neck, noting his stiffness, his quick intake of breath, and the careful way his hands slide over her back when he gives in and presses his forehead to hers.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’re going to order a pizza, finish the six-pack that I know Bodhi leaves in your fridge, I’m going to kick your ass in MarioKart and we’re going to have a lovely night.”

Cassian’s mouth curls. “So bossy.” His breath is warm on her lips and she shudders a little.

“You knew that about me already.”

“Did I say I didn’t like it?” His grin makes her toes curl, and oh, she’s absolutely going to _devour_ him--

“You’re impossible,” she huffs, and and he laughs and draws her even closer.

“And yet you’re still here.” The note of wonder in his voice doesn’t go unnoticed by her. 

She shrugs, releasing a long-suffering sigh. “Afraid so.”

His arms tighten around her. “Well, since everything’s gone to hell and not at all according to plan this evening, I’m not going to wait a a moment longer to kiss you.”

“A-Alright." A bit breathless, she tries to regain some semblance of control. “Are you going to count down or something--”

His lips cover hers and she stops speaking. Stops thinking. Her world narrows to the soft pressure of his mouth against hers, the curve of his smile as he kisses her; sweet, searching kisses with no beginning and ending, like they have all the time in the world. Like he’s planning on doing this for a long time. 

When they finally part, Cassian smiles, and Jyn wonders if he can hear her heart pounding. “So pizza, beer, video games, lovely night. Did I get all that?” At her nod, he leans in, inches from her lips, then shifts to kiss her jaw at the last second. “Any suggestions for what we should do until pizza arrives?”

It takes her a few seconds to respond, all her senses having fled except where his lips are slowly journeying down her throat. 

“I have a few ideas,” she gets out, and steps away from his arms, not without supreme effort on her part. Cassian’s surprise turns into something wicked as he watches her hop on one foot to unclasp the straps of her heels.

Finally he says, “I’m still making you dinner one day.”

“Oh I know,” Jyn finally kicks off her shoes and shrugs off her jacket. “But i’m really hoping you’ll make me breakfast tomorrow morning, too.”

Between this breath and the next, he’s lifted her into his arms, and the grin on his face sends her heart through the roof.

“Deal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loud knocking startles them both from sleep. 

Jyn groans in protest and curls further into Cassian, who swears softly and slowly unclasps her arms from around him, kissing her fingers in apology before he drags himself out of bed. She watches through half-lidded eyes as he stumbles around the room, stepping over the discarded pizza box on the floor at the last second. They had eventually gotten around to eating - though that hadn't lasted long once Cassian decided he preferred her for dessert. Jyn fights a shiver at the memory, watching as he barely avoids an unpleasant collision with the desk at the last second before finding a pair of pants to pull on. Her laugh makes him glance over his shoulder, eyes soft, before the banging on the front door resumes anew.

He’s muttering in Spanish as he walks out of the room, and Jyn grins. It turns out pissed-off Cassian and turned-on Cassian have the same proclivity for Spanish - one that she is most certainly on board with. She stretches and leans over to grab her phone from the nightstand. 

The number of unread messages makes her jump out of bed, haphazardly buttoning Cassian's shirt and padding into the living room right as he opens the door.

Baze towers in the entrance, a hand raised no doubt to pound on the door again. Cassian lifts an eyebrow, leaning against the open door as Baze glances between the two of them, his expression shifting into embarrassment - well, as embarrassed as Baze ever gets. Jyn presses her mouth in a line, trying to contain her laugh.

“Friends of yours?” Cassian drawls.

“Never seen him before,” she replies.

Baze growls and points at her. "It just takes one fucking text, Jyn."

"Sorry," she grins, anything but. Cassian cough-laughs into his hand, and Baze levels him with a look that's left lesser men quivering. Cassian only raises an eyebrow. With a grunt, their friend turns to go, revealing Chirrut calmly waiting behind him in the hallway. 

"Don't even say it," Baze warns his partner.

Chirrut waits for him to reach the elevator at the end of the hall, then smiles, twirling the walking stick that accompanies him everywhere.

"He's making me dinner for the next two weeks."


End file.
